Blog Post 1: 3 Possible Research Topics

QUESTIONS
What types of schools are most beneficial and effective in promoting a healthy learning environment?
Is there a specific type of school that promotes this, or is it specific to the teachers more than to the school?
How do teacher certification requirements differ between types of schools, and how might this have an effect on their teaching styles and teaching ability?

MOTIVATIONS
The differences between the types of schools and even between schools within types have always fascinated me. I also had some personal experience with switching between two different schools from when I switched from a private religious elementary school to a public secular middle school. I am very interested in exploring the many aspects of the education field, since it is the field I plan to go into and be involved in as an English teacher. Teacher certification requirements are therefore very important to me, and I have noticed that there are many different requirements and expectations for teachers and their teaching styles and levels of preparation between differing schools.

INFORMATION
I hope to discover the answers to my questions at the local campus level, local Newark level, state Delaware level, and national level.

ARGUMENTS
I think that I might make the argument that the types of schools may influence the learning environment and the requirements for teacher certification in terms of the students’ backgrounds.

QUESTIONS
What is the most effective way to formulate policies regarding mental health treatment?
What is the relationship between the success of these policies and awareness of mental health issues?
What legislation has already been passed regarding mental health and the treatment of mental illnesses? What legislation is in the works, and what legislation is not even on the horizon but should be, if any?

MOTIVATIONS
I firmly believe that the resolution of mental illnesses is a case-by-case issue, but written policies regarding mental health and the treatment of mental illnesses are key to the institution and continuation of treatment centers. While we often hear about mental health awareness as college students and as the generation that is known for being attached to smartphones and social media, we rarely hear about the policies that are passed at the local, state, and national levels regarding the treatment of the mental illnesses that we are promoting awareness of. I think that it would be interesting to look at the legislation that has actually been passed, what legislation has not been passed yet but should be, and the effectiveness of the treatment centers and treatments that are enabled by these policies.

INFORMATION
I hope to learn more about the mental health field, how treatment of mental illnesses works at an institutional level, what the legislative policies passed at the local, state, and national level are as well as their effectiveness, and what the next step for the field is in terms of policies to pass.

ARGUMENTS
One argument that I could make is that while raising awareness of mental illnesses is a great thing to do, it does not actually solve the illnesses and it generally does not last for longer than a day or, at the most, a week. The legislative policies regarding mental illnesses and their treatment are important because they have the potential to affect a large percentage of the population – anyone with at least one undiagnosed or diagnosed mental illness would potentially be affected by these policies, but they are hardly ever discussed. Are there even policies? Has legislation even been passed before, and if so, at what level and in what form and to what end? These are all questions that I think could easily be more openly discussed in society.

QUESTIONS
What are the motivating factors that motivate people to vote and engage in their community as citizens?
What are the factors that hold people back from registering to vote and voting?
Are there any demographics that are more/less likely than others to show up and vote on Election Day?

MOTIVATIONS
I am very passionate about this issue after working to register voters and volunteering in the polls on Election Day for the past seven years. While I think most people learn in their American government class(es) that not many people show up to vote, I also think that oftentimes the phenomenon gets glossed over without analyzing why this is the case in America, a country that prides itself on its democratic government in which supposedly everyone has a voice and a vote.

INFORMATION
I hope to discover and analyze potential reasons why some college students did not vote or, in some cases, did not even register to vote. I think that if I could identify potential reasons for this, then perhaps I could also identify solutions or steps to take to resolve this and convince more people to go out to the polls.

ARGUMENTS
One argument that I may make is that as a society we need to work together to get more people to register to vote – that everyone who is eligible should be registered to vote – and convince them to go to the polls and vote on Election Day once they are registered.

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2 thoughts on “Blog Post 1: 3 Possible Research Topics”

Great topics, the images really caught my eye and drew me in! Out of the three, my favorite topic of focus would be the one regarding mental health and mental health treatment. This topic links extremely well to college campuses and the lives and well being on college students, since many, many student struggle with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and isolation, especially as freshman. Adapting to a completely novel environment and leaving childhood behind can be a frightening and for some, desolate, situation that takes months to adjust to. Mental health in general is often overlooked and not thought of as as important as physical health, even though many psychological specialists would argue that it is as, if not MORE important. When one is healthy mentally, it pushes them to be healthy physically and socially. I would be eager to read a paper regarding your research on how to bring awareness to the topic of increasing mental well being, especially if you focused it around mental health specifically on college campuses.
-Katie K.

You have a great brainstorm of topics here! The topic on the different types of schools is very interesting because there is so much debate about what types of schools parents should be sending their kids to. It would also be interesting to look at this on a local level because there are so many different charter schools and private schools here in Delaware, and many of the kids coming from those are coming to UD. The voting one can also be localized to here on the college campus, as many times young people are not taking the time to vote even though their voices are so important. If possible, you could even interview different students who did not vote and ask them their motivation why to incorporate into your paper.